If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a mom, it’s that you don’t need fancy toys to keep a child happy — sometimes, a simple ball of play dough can spark hours of laughter and imagination!
In this post, I’m sharing how a little Pinterest inspiration turned into one of our favorite bonding activities at home. From homemade play dough recipes to printable mats and sweet surprises, here’s how we’ve been having fun (and making a bit of a mess!) with clay and creativity.
My son’s first experience with Play-Doh was about three years ago, when I bought the Play-Doh Cars 2 Mold N Go set a few weeks before his third birthday. He’s a huge Lightning McQueen fan, so he was absolutely thrilled! For a few days, he played nonstop… until, of course, we ran out of Play-Doh.
When I checked the toy store for refills, I was surprised at how expensive they were — definitely not in my budget at the time. So the toy ended up sitting in a corner, and that was that… until I discovered Pinterest (a true mom lifesaver!).
That’s where I found a recipe for homemade play dough, and just like that, my son’s Cars toy got a second life! We made our own batch at home, and he couldn’t have been happier.
Yes, it’s messy. There will be bits of dough everywhere. But honestly? It’s so worth it. Play dough is amazing for developing fine motor skills, sparking imagination and creativity, and even helping kids (and adults!) relax.
I have to admit — I enjoy playing with it too! Growing up, I always wanted Play-Doh, but we couldn’t afford it back then. So now that I can make it at home for my son, I think I’m just as excited as he is.
If you remember my post about our clay modeling session in Nuvali, that was such a fun day! Since then, my son has really gotten into clay and play dough. He even received a clay set as a Christmas gift, and I bought him a clay activity book last summer to keep him busy during the break.
Recently, I found some adorable play dough mats on Pinterest — you can print them out and use them again and again. I just print ours on regular paper and cover them with a plastic sheet (laminating works too if you want something sturdier).
We had so much fun pretending to make dinner, ice cream sundaes, and cakes. It’s amazing how something so simple can keep a kid entertained for hours!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg) |
| my work |
.jpg) |
| my work |
A few weeks ago, I printed another set of mats, and while I was covering them, my son saw what I was doing and asked, “Mommy, can I have yellow play dough this time?”
So while he was at school, I secretly made a batch of yellow dough. When he came home and saw it sitting on the table, he ran to me, hugged me, and said, “I love you, Mommy!” #cheesymoment
That night, we played together with his new dough and mats. Simple moments like that just melt my heart.
.jpg)
.jpg) |
| Apple tree and Snow Tree |
.jpg) |
| Cactus + Sun |
.jpg) |
| This is my work! :) |
Click here to download the play dough mats.
If you want to try making your own, here’s the recipe I used — it’s super easy and budget-friendly! I got the recipe from "Musings from a Stay-at-Home Mom".
Ingredients:
1 cup water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/3 cup salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Food coloring
Instructions:
Cook over low to medium heat while stirring.
When the mixture starts to thicken, add the food coloring.
Keep stirring until it becomes doughy and starts clumping around your spoon.
Remove it from the heat, let it cool, then knead until smooth.
If you want to experiment, you can also try Martha Stewart’s version:
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 cup water
Food coloring
21 comments:
My son loves playing with clay, too. Thanks for the idea of the printed plate! I help him mold plates for his "food" so this would be really helpful :)
The mats is a great idea! Both my kids can spend hours playing with play doh. We make our own play-doh too because the commercial ones are so expensive!
My boys love playing with clay, too! My second child had a school activity before where they made clay from scratch. It was super fun for the him but after some time the clay became too moist and yucky hehe Maybe, we'll try the recipe on your link and make a better batch!
After making our own moonsand, my next project is homemade playdough, too! It's so exciting, and it's educational pa. I'm wary of using store-bought playdough and clay kasi because di ko alam anong ingredients.
I can't play with clay yet with my son maybe when he's a bit older because of his habit of eating his toys
Wow! Those mats are really a great idea to guide the children in what to mold. I like those!
Looks fun! This will surely encourage them to be creative and imagine more!
My kids love play Doh too. You can also let your son watch the youtube videos on how to make creative fun shapes using Play Doh. He will surely love it!
This is a good idea! I hope when my baby's a bit big na, she'll also love play doh. Perfect bonding time.
Awww the food clays are so cute!
Ang galing! The partner and I have been planning for a looooong time to make edible play dough for the daughter but never got the time. Hopefully in the coming weekends this month ma try namin ganito din!
Wow!! really cool! Heheh pwede pala yan? Pambihira wala din akong ganyan nung bata ako eh. Kung alam ko lang pwede pa lang homemade eh di sana nag enjoy din ako. hehehehe.! I'll sure try this when James can play play dough! =)
Hehehe! Sana gumawa na rin ko nung bata ko. :)
my kids love playing clay too! and it really is messy! nakakunsumi pag halo halo na ang color (opps! OCD attack haha) If my kids will see this, they would ask me again na ilabas na ang dough nila.. we do toy rotation eh, as of now, nasa building blocks sila :) pero sawa na daw sila at gusto na nila mag dough :)
the place mats are cool!
Home made playdoughs are better because you know what went in it when you made it. :)
These are awesome ideas. Isn't Pinterest amazing? I'm going to try making those play dough mats when Ethan is older. I used to love clay and play dough when I was young!
We can find almost everything on Pinterest hehe! Great idea on the improvised mat, kahit anong clay pwede nang laruin! :D
My son had a lot of different Play Doh sets when he was little. I honestly don't know what to do with them now that he's outgrown them. I can't bear to sell them or give them away just yet. It was fun while it lasted, tho hehe.
True, nakakastress pag namix na yung mga colors. hehehe!
Yes, less mess too.
It so expensive din kasi kaya kakahinayang. :)
Post a Comment